ABU DHABI: Scottish headquartered German Doner Kebab (GDK) has announced plans to expand into Saudi Arabia. The gourmet doner kebab chain has signed-up The Ajlan Company as the master franchisee for the oil-rich kingdom.
The Ajlan Company are one of the richest groups in Saudi Arabia and have worked with some of the biggest brands in world in growing their presence in the Middle East. Plans are now in place to open 100 outlets over the next ten years, with the first store scheduled to open its doors in Riyadh by August this year.
The expansion into Saudi Arabia further strengthens German Doner Kebab’s presence in the Middle East, where it already has 19 stores across United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Oman. GDK also has stores in the UK and Sweden. German Doner Kebab is part of the Hero Brands fast-food portfolio and is owned by the Glasgow-based Sarwar family.
Global CEO, Imran Sayeed, said: “We are very excited to be announcing our ambitions for Saudi Arabia as our growth plans for the Middle East gather further momentum. “Our idea of bringing a gourmet kebab that is healthy and nutritionally balanced has truly resonated with consumers in the region, disrupting and opening-up a new area of the fast-food market place.
“The Ajlan Company shares our vision and offers great synergies for German Doner Kebab in Saudi Arabia, bringing an experienced infrastructure and a commitment to rapid growth. “We are very much looking forward to our first opening in the middle part of this year and working with them to relentlessly expand the German Doner Kebab footprint over the next decade.” A spokesperson from the Ajlan Company welcomed the announcement with:
“We very much welcome the growth of German Doner Kebab and we are excited to bring this brand into Saudi Arabia and beyond. We have ambitious growth plans for the restaurant chain and are glad to be working with the Hero Brands team to achieve this.” The Ajlan Company has interests in retail, manufacturing, real estate, tourism and transport. German Doner Kebab will join some of the world’s most iconic brands in Ajlan’s Saudi portfolio, in developing their growth plan across the Middle East and beyond. PR
